Starlink’s satellite internet service has reached capacity in UAE, with the company now directing prospective customers in the emirate to a waitlist rather than immediate sign-up, according to its order portal.
Some users attempting to preorder the service are informed that “Starlink service is currently at capacity” in the area, but are given the option to place a refundable-style deposit to reserve their spot on the waitlist and receive a notification once capacity opens up again.
Some residents in Al Majaz, Sharjah, and Al Quoz, Dubai, tried to book Starlink service, but the website showed that the service had reached capacity. Khaleej Times also tried to book the service and received similar results.
The deposit, listed as “Deposit Due Today,” comes to Dh285.71, described on the site as an “estimated tax inclusive total price,” with the final amount subject to adjustment once a customer’s address is confirmed.
Starlink did not provide an estimated timeframe for when service would become available in the area.
“Please note that we cannot provide an estimated timeframe for service availability, but our teams are working as quickly as possible to add more capacity to the constellation so we can continue to expand coverage for more customers around the world,” the company said on its order page.
The residential plan, the standard offering for households, is priced at Dh300 per month.
As reported by Khaleej Times last week, Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has been granted a 10-year General Satellite Services Licence by the UAE's Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), paving the way for its commercial rollout across the country.
Services will cover individuals, businesses and government entities, as well as satellite connectivity for the maritime and aviation sectors.
The service is aimed at supplementing the UAE’s existing fibre-optic network with a satellite broadband layer, covering individual consumers, businesses, government entities, and connectivity for the maritime and aviation sectors.
The capacity constraint in Dubai and Sharjah comes just months after the service went live nationwide, suggesting demand in parts of the UAE may be outpacing the rollout of Starlink’s satellite network capacity in the region.
